Sanaa [Yemen], December 19: Houthi forces in Yemen arrested 10 local United Nations staff members on December 18, according to AFP, citing a statement from the international organization.
"We can confirm that the Houthi in Sanaa today arbitrarily detained 10 United Nations staff members , bringing the total number of UN personnel detained to 69," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The United Nations has confirmed that all the Houthi-held personnel are Yemeni . There is no information yet regarding a response from the Houthi.
The Houthi rebels have targeted dozens of UN staff and aid workers over the years, accusing them of spying for the US and Israel. The UN has vehemently denied these allegations.
The Houthi have intensified such arrests since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, and more recently following Israeli attacks that killed nearly half of the Houthi's senior members, including the prime minister, in August, according to AFP.
The Houthi have used their judicial system to target NGOs, journalists, and opposition figures. Last month, a Houthi court sentenced 17 people to death for spying for Israel, the US, and Saudi Arabia, according to the group's media.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper